To Keep You Safe
by singafterastorm
Summary: After Blaine was slushied, things for the McKinley High Glee club have turned for the worse. The Warblers have a thirst for revenge and their two targets are Blaine and Santana. Both have no idea that the more you know, the more in danger you become ...
1. Prologue

Santana ran her hand over the indents on the paper. His handwriting was neat and preppy like the school boy he was, but there was an edge of urgency to them.

_"San – I can't explain but you need to stop attacking the Warblers. They are a lot more dangerous than you know. Please don't do anything reckless. Go home after school. Hide. Don't agree to this meeting with them. I can't promise your safety. Please, it would kill me if you got hurt. Don't do this. I need to keep you safe."_

Her jaw dropped slightly in shock. What the fuck were those preppy boys hiding?

Santana's phone vibrated showing her the latest text message from Kurt. _Practice at 5pm today. We're going to run over the Michael Jackson numbers._

Santana took out her cellphone and texted him back. _Can't come. I'll explain later._

Within a few minutes she texted Blaine. _The Warblers want to meet with us. We need to talk beforehand because I have a feeling they're going to bring a lot more than slushies with them._

Blaine was heading to practice when he got the text message from Santana. As soon as he read it, he swore to himself. _Pick me up at my house; I have a lot to explain to you._ Within minutes Santana sent a confirmation text.

He took a deep breath and texted Kurt. _I can't go to practice today. The doctors said my eye isn't fully healed and doing spins in an auditorium will only hurt it. Love you. Talk to you after practice, okay?_

Blaine turned off his phone so he wouldn't have to see Kurt's response. His mind wandered over the events that led to where he was today. As he glanced in the mirror, he remembered the boy in the uniform. "I should've stayed at Dalton." He muttered running a hand through his hair. "But no, I made the selfish choice and left." He looked around awkwardly and sighed, "I should have known I could never leave that place alive."

Santana arrived at his house within minutes. As he headed out to her car, she got out and glared at him. "Would you like to tell me what the fuck is going on Anderson?"

Blaine sighed as he approached the car. "I'll explain it on the way there."

"No." She said walking over to his side and leaning on the car door. "You're going to explain now. You're going to explain why, for some reason, you haven't been angry at the Warblers, or shocked, for them injuring you with that slushy. Or why you aren't shocked that they want to meet us. Why when I told you I visited them last week, you flipped out, and told me that, for my own safety, I need to stay away from them. What do you know that I don't Blaine?" Santana eyed him up.

He looked nervous. Blaine kept fidgeting and avoiding her eyes. "You don't get it Santana. You don't just _leave _the Warblers. There are a lot of things I can't tell you. But let's just say that we're both in danger. In fact, everyone is."

Santana tried to hide her smile, but failed. "You're joking right?" A chuckle slipped out of her lips. "God Blaine, you're a fucking preppy ass glee club. You're making it sound like you're something more than that."

"Because we are." He said seriously getting her eye contact, and taking a deep breath. "Here's the Sparknotes version of it Santana. The Warblers are pissed at me for a few reasons. That's why they tried to attack Kurt. I would suggest you stay out of it, but now because of your trip to visit them, that's out of the question." Blaine ran a hand through his hair trying to figure things out. "Their targets are you and I. So we have to go meet them and end it."

Santana's mind repeated Blaine's words. _Because of your trip to visit them._ She had a feeling that, if there was any issue between the Warblers and herself, it was because of a lot more than that. Santana sobered up when she responded. "You make it sound like a death sentence." She said curiously seeing his somber expression.

"That's because it is." Blaine said simply. "You said it yourself Santana. This time they will have a lot more than slushies with them …" He pushed her gently off the car door and opened it. "Now we just have to face the music and hope for the best."

Santana was quiet as she walked around to the other side of the car. Her mind filled with thousands of questions. But as they approached the spot they had met the Warblers before, only one question took precedence. "Why do this?" Santana asked as she put the car in park. "You make it seem like the Warblers are dangerous people. I know I can handle myself in a fight. But if you're afraid of getting hurt then … why do it?"

Blaine had been staring at his turned off phone for most of the trip but when he looked up, he seemed empowered somehow. "For Kurt." He said simply. "I need to end this feud between everyone. What if I'm not there when they run into him with another spiked slushy, or worse?" He sighed as he met her eyes, his voice cracking. "I'm doing it to keep him safe."

Santana nodded somberly as she unlocked the door. "Well then … let's do this."


	2. Chapter 1

Thad stood in front of the Warblers with Sebastian at his side. He could hear a few Warblers behind him pace and mutter to one another, but he ignored it. They all knew what they had to do. He pressed his hand into pocket and felt the cold metal of what his pocket concealed. A small smile grew on his face.

Santana's boot heels clicked on the pavement, alerting everyone that there was company. The Warblers shuffled into position, as did Blaine and Santana.

"So dickwads," Santana smiled, ignoring the glances of a certain Warbler. "Tell me … why the fuck am I here?"

Thad rolled his eyes at Santana's hostility. "You're here because you can't keep your nose out of other's peoples business." He gave her a glare, and raised an eyebrow. "And because I know a lot more than you think I do Lopez."

Santana's heart sank. Her eyes fluttered up to the crowd nervously. Not daring to say more, her eyes said her words for her. _You were right. I shouldn't have come. I'm sorry._

Meanwhile, Thad glanced at Blaine with a cocky grin. "But you're here because you can't keep your fucking mouth shut."

Blaine looked at the ground nervously. "It just came out …" He waved his hand in dismissal. "No one took it seriously. It was a joke."

"You were barely allowed to leave Dalton, Anderson." Thad took a step forward. "You're making us regret that decision." He smirked and gestured to the crowd. "All you have to do is join the Warblers again, and this could all be over."

Santana burst out into laughter. "I'm sorry, is this intimidating act so you could get Blaine to transfer back? Are you that desperate for talent that you'll try to win back someone who left you?" A small cocky grin on her face grew.

Sebastian placed a hand on Thad's shoulder before he could do anything drastic. Taking a deep breath, Thad glanced up at her. "For someone who wants to know the answers, you're pretty obtuse when they're right under your nose." When Santana didn't respond right away, Thad glanced at Blaine. "Why don't you tell her, since you're great at that?"

Blaine took a deep breath and looked up at Santana. "Back when I started school at Dalton and joined the Warblers, I told everyone about my problems with bullying. I wanted to start a club where people could learn self-defense, and learn to control their emotions. It helped me, so I wanted to help others." He stole a glance at the rest of the Warblers who wore mixed emotions.

"But things quickly escalated. After all, you fill a room of guys who are fighting each other … well I should have guessed it would get bad. Eventually it became …"

Santana let out a quick laugh, until she got stares in return. "Wait … so are you try to tell me that Finn was serious when he said you started the Dalton Fight Club?"

Blaine's eyes widened as he looked around. "Finn told people that?"

She ran a hand through her hair. "Finn told Rachel, who told Kurt … yada yada yada. You know that word spreads like wildfire in our glee club."

"You're right. It does." Thad said taking a step closer, Sebastian tripping up behind him.

Thad nodded toward the back of the lot, signally the Warbler to leave. A few looked unwilling, but eventually all that was left of them was Thad, Sebastian, Nick and Trent. Thad cleared his throat and continued. "So imagine how surprised I was when I heard that Blaine broke the first rule of the fight club he started. _Never talk about fight club._" He shot him a dirty look. "You're lucky we let you leave the club." Suddenly he reached into his pocket and took out what was concealed. "You're making me regret our decision."

Santana grabbed Blaine's arm and they both fell back slightly. Their hearts dropped as they looked into the barrel of a 6 millimeter pistol.

"You're fucking joking right?" Santana gasped as she heard him pull the safety off. "… Maybe you're not." She muttered to herself.

Blaine stepped in front of her. "Do it. I know that's what you've wanted to do. Kill me. I'll sacrifice myself if that means keeping everyone safe. Because unlike the rest of them, I know what you guys are capable of. So kill me, let Santana and everyone else go and then your secrets die with me."

He heard a few Warblers mutter protests. Glancing up he saw Nick and Trent with eyes widened and jaws dropped.

Santana was about to protest when she heard the Warblers at the end of the lot coming back. A small smile crept up Thad's face. "But why would I do that?" He grinned, gesturing for the Warblers to hurry up. "That would be letting you off the easy way …"

Thad moved out of the way so they could see what was occurring behind them. The Warblers were bringing three people with them, slowly getting closer to them into focus. It took all of Santana's strength to hold Blaine back when he saw one of the people they held.

Blaine's heart broke and he lunged to attack Thad. "KURT," he screamed, not knowing what to do. Kurt was broken. He was limping, and there was blood on his face. Blaine felt hopeless. He didn't protect him. Kurt got hurt and it was his fault. There was no trace of Kurt's usual happy self, instead Kurt looked empty.

"Don't make any sudden moves." Santana hissed at Blaine. "Thad could kill someone a lot quicker than you can blink." Her heart raced when she realized the other two people were Finn and Rachel.

Rachel cleared her throat. "We got your text. I'm so sorry Blaine … we should have known it was a trap."

Blaine looked around confused, and patted himself down for his phone not finding it. Thad reached into his pocket and pulled it out with a grin. "Are you looking for this?" He smiled. "You probably shouldn't have left it in an unlocked car … people can steal it."

Thad glanced over to Blaine who had pure hate in his eyes. Santana on the contrary looked hopeless. He made a note that this was probably the only time she had ever looked that way. The idea made him smile.

"Why?" Blaine spat out. "Leave them out of this! I'll do whatever you want!"

"I like to have an audience." He shrugged. Thad slowly approached the trio, glancing at his gun with a grin. "And I figured why do this the easy way when I could do it the hard way?" A smirk lit up his face as he placed the cold metal of the gun's barrel on Kurt's temple. "So, let's get started. Shall we?"


	3. Chapter 2

"Get started with what?" Blaine hissed, pulling out of Santana's grip. His heart was racing as he saw the metal barrel lying on Kurt's temple. Kurt's eyes said a goodbye to him. But Blaine refused to believe it was the end. "What do you want?"

"I want payback." Thad glanced back at Sebastian with a smile. "What did you say the other day? You demand satisfaction in Warbler tradition?" Thad raised an eyebrow at Blaine. "Blaine, you used to believe in that too …"

"Lower the gun and I'll talk …" He offered, glancing up at Kurt's solemn expression. "You're not getting anything out of me like this." His heart ached as he looked at his friends and his boyfriend broken in front of him. It was his entire fault. Why did he have to make the selfish choice and leave Dalton? Blaine was sure to pay the price now …

Thad rolled his eyes. "I'm calling your bluff. I keep the gun here long enough and you'll do anything. Besides, you know what I'm capable of …" He grinned, allowing his last comment to sink in.

The comment struck Blaine's heart, and he shared a freaked out look with Santana. Santana glanced behind Thad and mouthed '_Do something'._ The Warbler looking at her nodded back.

There was a shift behind Thad as the Warbler's started to murmur to each other. Santana and Blaine glanced at each other unsure what was happening, until they heard Thad yell. "Once a Warbler always a Warbler my ass! He broke the rules. He put the club in danger." He lifted the gun towards Blaine with anger. "He deserves to pay the consequences."

"But this is _Blaine. _He's our brother …" One of the Warblers answered. Santana tried to lean forward to figure out who it was. Possibly Nick? Or was it Jeff?

Thad and the Warblers continued to argue with each other, but Santana and Blaine were unable to figure out what they were saying. During the spat between them, Santana took a moment to survey the situation. Blaine was ready to combust especially after seeing Kurt injured in front of him, in addition to the anger and betrayal he felt. Kurt looked empty and hopeless as if he thought they wouldn't make it out alive. Finn and Rachel were clinging onto each other. Rachel was closing her eyes trying to block everything out, while Finn stayed silent, knowing that in this case, it was better if he kept his big mouth shut.

Blaine took a deep breath and stepped forward. "I'll transfer. I'll join the Warblers. It'll be like it used to be." He raised his hands in defeat. "No harm, no foul."

Thad seemed to contemplate this for a moment when Sebastian spoke up. "Perfect. Now can we wrap this shindig up?" He looked over to Thad, a little shaken.

Thad stood there in silence and gestured for the Warblers to let Rachel, Finn and Kurt go. As soon as they did, Kurt ran into Blaine's arms and they stood there in a tight embrace. Both savoring the closeness of the other, thankful the previous moment was not their last together.

Rachel shuffled behind Finn, and he stood his ground next to Santana. The entire group glanced up at Thad questioningly. There was no way they could get off that easy.

"You're free to go." Thad sighed shooing them away, and putting the safety back on the gun. "Your precious friends are safe, but you're a Warbler again. Seems like a fair trade to me."

Blaine eyed him down for a minute. The word fair most certainly was never found in Thad's vocabulary. Nevertheless he wrapped an arm around Kurt's torso, supporting him and started to head out of the parking lot. The three others following close behind.

"You're letting him go that easily?" Blaine heard someone ask behind him. He tried to figure out the face of the voice … most likely Sebastian.

He could hear a small chuckle come out of Thad's mouth, and Blaine knew this wasn't the end. "Obviously you don't know me that well Sebastian …" When he heard the faint click of the safety being taken off the gun again, Blaine's heart stopped.

And then everything happened at the same time.

Blaine turned around to see Thad raising the gun towards his head. The trigger was pulled. The Warblers lunged forward in shock. A shot rang out. A piercing pain surged throughout his shoulder. And then Blaine fell.

Rachel, Finn, Santana and Kurt turned too late as they saw Blaine clutching his shoulder and falling to the ground. Kurt was at his side first, clutching his body close to his. "Blaine!" He said urgently. "No … no no …!" The tears filled his eyes as he held his head in his lap, and tried to clean up the wound somehow. "Stay with me Blaine!"

But they weren't done.

Santana looked up in a moment and saw a struggle. Sebastian had the gun in his hands and Thad reached for it. When they collided the next shot rang out.

Santana fell to the ground clutching her side, the pain shooting up in her body. Her glassy eyes looked frantically back up and she saw Thad and Sebastian gathering the Warblers and leaving the parking lot.

Rachel's hands worked her cellphone in an instant and she quickly called 911. "There's been a shooting … two people are injured …" Rachel spoke into the phone frantically.

Santana's eyes followed the sight of the Warblers leaving the parking lot. One of them turned around meeting her eyes. But then there was a third and final shot. The man looking at her fell down and the Warblers left the body behind. They were gone as quickly as they came.


	4. Chapter 3

**_Flashback: The day before Santana received the warning letter_**

_**(In terms of chapters this would take place before the prologue)**_

Sitting in the Lima Bean, Santana took a sip of her coffee angrily. It wasn't until she heard the ringing of the bell, signaling the entering of a new customer, that she woke up from her fury. "It's about time you got here," she said snippily, though a smile was tugging at her lips.

The man walked up to her immediately, placed his hands on the sides of her face and pulled her in for a kiss before either of them could say anything. Santana placed her hands on his chest, grinning into the embrace. They stood there for a minute, fitting like missing puzzle pieces. Once they broke apart, the man rested his forehead on hers and chuckled. "I love you Santana."

"I love you too, Sebastian." She smiled. "Now sit your preppy ass down so we can talk, okay? You owe me that." Santana sighed as she pulled away from him. She tried to be serious, but as he gave her his puppy dog look she couldn't help but melt. He was the only one who had this effect on her, and she loved it.

Sebastian sat across from her, and grabbed her hand lovingly. "I owe you much more than that. I know I've been busy with the Warblers."

"Busy slushying Blaine is more like it. Really, Sebastian, what the fuck got into you? He had to get surgery…" she argued. Santana's allegiance was torn. Who was she supposed to side with? After all, the Glee club had stood by her for so much. How could she turn her back on them?

He swore under his breath and looked up at her apologetically. "I can't explain, just know that I did it to protect you, and speaking of protection …" He sighed glaring at her. "Stop provoking Thad. Don't randomly show up to Dalton anymore. Things won't end up well, and I can't let you get hurt, Santana."

"I'm not going to get hurt, babe." Santana said. "I'll go all Lima Heights on their asses. You know that. Besides, I don't get why you're siding with them … or the fact that you stay with them after everything …"

"Because I can't leave. Once a Warbler always a Warbler. They fight dirty." He said simply.

Santana sighed exasperatedly. "But Blaine left!"

"And you see how well that went for him don't you? It's only going to get worse for him." He let out a big breath of air to calm his nerves. "I wish I could help him." Sebastian shook his head and pointed at her. "But you're my priority. Okay?"

His phone started to buzz in his pocket and he quickly took it out. Swearing he stood up suddenly and looked at the door. "I uhm … I have to go." He slowly turned before Santana's hand caught his arm, keeping him in place.

She quickly stood up and grabbed both of his hands. "Seb, stop. Stop doing this. Stop giving me warnings and then leaving when your phone vibrates. Babe, tell me what you're hiding."

Sebastian pulled her into a hug and closed his eyes. He planted a small kiss on her forehead, savoring the feel of her skin. "I wish I could, but I can't." He tried to remember the feel of her body pressed to his. He tried to remember the feel of her breath tickling his ear.

He tried to remember the sound of her voice when she whispered, "I love you," knowing that was the only thing she could say. He tried to remember it because part of him knew that was the last time he would hear it.

The more he forced the Warblers to back off, the more at risk he became. Sebastian Smythe knew that if he continued to protect Santana he wouldn't survive much longer, and that was a risk he was willing to take.

"I love you too," he said, pulling away from her so he could look her in the eyes. "Things are going to get a lot worse before they get better. Just know I'm doing all of this for you. Go home. Stay safe. I'll talk to you soon, and then I'll explain everything. Okay?"

Santana nodded, speechless as he kissed her cheek. Within minutes Sebastian was gone as quickly as he had come and she was left in an empty coffee shop. The smell of his cologne disappeared and part of her couldn't help but wonder if she dreamed the entire ordeal herself.

**_Current Time: After the Shooting (After Chapter Two)._**

Santana Lopez woke up in the hospital, disoriented. Her head was pounding and the room spun sickeningly around her. Next to her sat an eager Kurt Hummel, staring. "Wha …" She murmured, slowly opening her eyes and leaning up, but then it hit her. Blaine had been shot. A warbler shot her. And then a Warbler was shot. The memory rushed through her. "What happened? Where is everyone? Is Blaine okay?" She blurted out urgently.

Kurt nodded somberly. His eyes were puffy from crying so much, and he looked like he hadn't slept in days. "They're stitching up his shoulder now, that's why I'm not by his side." He sighed, looking up at her. "I came here, first of all, to see how you were doing. But mostly to get some answers, San."

Santana sighed, leaning her head back against the pillow. "I don't have any answers to give. You're going to have to talk about Mr. Preppy Boy Fight Club in the next room."

"I'm not talking about that." Kurt said quickly, in a cutting tone. She glanced up at him and saw his serious expression. Kurt was getting right down to business. "How are you connected to the Warblers, Santana?"

She wanted to argue. She wanted to tell him that she wasn't part of this drama at all. But Santana knew she didn't have the energy to lie. Instead, she stayed quiet. If she wasn't been sarcastic and giving snide remarks, Santana Lopez was blunt. "You know why, Kurt."

Kurt murmured a few expletives before looking up at her. He had a faint idea, but her knowing look confirmed his thoughts. The way they looked at each other from across the room. The way they would disappear and always reappear together. The way she argued for him and said Sebastian must have a reason for slushying Blaine. It all made sense, but before he could say anything, a nurse walked into the room. "Mr. Hummel? Mr. Anderson is looking for you, his stiches are done."

He nodded quickly and got up out of his seat. As he walked toward the door, he quickly turned around. "I'm not supposed to be telling you this, but I know that if it was Blaine I would want to know."

Santana raised an eyebrow and leaned back in her hospital bed, preparing herself. "What is it?"

"The Warbler that was shot?" Kurt gulped, feeling bad for Santana. "It was Sebastian."

Santana went to speak but nothing came out. Her heart started to race as her mind tried to form words. Tears were already forming, slowly slipping out of her closed eyes. Santana shook her head in disbelief. This was Sebastian he was talking about. Out of everyone, he knew how to handle himself the best. "Is he okay?"

"He's down the hall in critical condition." Although Kurt wanted to hate him for hurting Blaine, it killed him to see Santana this broken. "He lost a lot of blood, Santana. They don't think he's going to make it."

Santana shot up and fumbled out of bed. As soon as she tried to take a step, she collapsed. Kurt barely caught her in time. "NURSE," he yelled, fighting with Santana.

She tried to push his grip off of her. "I NEED TO BE WITH HIM. SEBASTIAN, I'M COMING!" Santana lunged toward the door only to have Kurt step in the way.

Hearing the screams, a few nurses burst into the room and helped Kurt place Santana back into bed. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF ME," she cried, staring at the empty hallway through the door and searching for his face. "I need to check on him!" Her voice cracked, tears falling down her face.

Kurt gasped at the sight. There were few times Santana was completely emotionally vulnerable. As she fought the nurses and screamed Sebastian's name, Kurt knew this was a rare moment in her life. She was singlehandedly the strongest person he knew, and there she was in front of him, falling apart.

The nurses took out a needle and slipped her a drug to calm her down, and help her sleep. "Kurt," she said softly, feeling the effects of the drug almost immediately. "Make sure he's alive when I wake up, okay Kurt? Please. I love him." She sighed, falling back onto her bed and passing out cold.

He was speechless at the sight when the doctor nudged him on the way out. "You're Mr. Hummel correct?" Instead of responding, he nodded, seeing as how that was the only way he knew how to respond at that moment. "Mr. Anderson is done in his room and he's asking for you." Kurt took one last glance at Santana. There she was emotionally and physically drained. She was in this position because she loved and trusted Sebastian too much.

Was he in the same position as her? Did he love and trust Blaine too much to not see the obvious dangers in front of him? Taking one last deep breath, he looked away at the broken brunette in front of him and walked toward the love of his life.

Kurt wasn't sure of a lot of things, except one. He wanted answers and he was going to get them.


	5. Chapter 4

Kurt stared at Blaine's door for minutes. He had so many questions, and yet he felt nothing. He had just seen his boyfriend shot. This was bigger than just him, this was bigger than everyone.

"Hey," He said softly walking in approaching the side of his bed. Blaine looked like death. His IV drip was close at his side, and his face was pale. Kurt had to fight the flashbacks this gave him of his father's hospital visit.

"So … do you hate me?" Blaine's voice cracked as he tried to get up from the bed, only to fall back in pain.

Kurt winced at the sight of Blaine so weak. But he couldn't find the strength to go and help him. Yet again, he was forced to just watch Blaine crumble, not being able to do anything. It seemed like a theme of his life. "I could never hate you." He sighed, walking over to the seat next to the bed and sitting down. "But I do need to know the truth."

"What do you want to know?" He said eagerly, turning his head to look over at Kurt through tear stained eyes. He was too weak to get up, and he was too weak to lie. Kurt deserved the truth, and he was going to get it.

Kurt thought about the thousands of questions he had. But he knew they could all wait. His eyebrows furrowed and he tried to force himself to stay strong. He knew deep down inside that Blaine had lied to him to protect him. Despite the fact that he hated not knowing, maybe Kurt was better off in ignorance. "You knew you could get hurt when you transferred here, didn't you?" He asked.

The guilt weighed on Kurt like a two ton truck. He ignored the craziness of the fight club ... gang ... whatever the Warblers were. He ignored the craziness that people were shot. He ignored the craziness that Blaine used to be the leader of it all. The only thing he focused on was the fact that Blaine had risked his life just to transfer schools. When Blaine responded with a weak nod, Kurt's heart sank. "Why?" His voice cracked and he leaned in closer to grab his hands. With their fingers intertwined, he rested his forehead on them.

Blaine watched Kurt rest his head on their hands. Did he not get it? After everything they had been through, was it still such a foreign idea? He let go of Kurt's hand, causing Kurt to stir and look up. His hand caressed Kurt's cheek lovingly as he looked him straight in the eyes. "Nothing can keep me from you. Not even death. I love you Kurt. I don't care what they do to me. Life has no meaning if we're not together."

Kurt could feel the tears in his eyes as he pulled Blaine into a kiss. It was soft, yet hungry. Kurt didn't realize how much he missed being with Blaine. It had only been a few hours, but there had been so much that had happened. Seconds seemed like days when he thought he'd never see the man he loved again.

When they pulled away moments later, Kurt looked at him worriedly. "Are you going back? Part of me thinks you should so you don't get in trouble but the other part … well, it's dangerous. Maybe we should call the police …"

"No." Blaine said sternly. "Believe me that would get me killed, that wouldn't save me." He sighed and looked up at Kurt. He looked so broken, but yet so strong. He knew that his past put Kurt in an awkward position. Maybe it was best if Kurt wasn't involved at all. "You know you could leave. You don't have to stay. You'll be safe. No one will hurt you and I'll go back. You deserve better than me Kurt. You deserve the world, and I can't give that to you." Blaine's voice cracked and he felt as though he couldn't breathe. Despite this feeling, Blaine willed himself to stay strong for Kurt.

Kurt's jaw dropped slightly. Blaine was offering him a way out. No more pain, no more surprises. Just normalcy. But that meant no Blaine. He couldn't help but shake his head quickly. "No Blaine. You're wrong. I deserve love." He said, believing every word. A year ago he may have not believed it, but Blaine had made him realize the truth. "I deserve love and you're the only one that could give that to me. You're the one I want." He said with a sad smile. "So you're stuck with me."

Blaine let out a huge breath, unaware he had been holding one. A smile lit his face and he let his head fall on the pillow behind him relieved. "No more secrets between us then. You and me always. We'll get through this."

Kurt squeezed his hand reassuringly about to say something when there was a knock on the door. "Excuse me, Mr. Anderson … Mr. Hummel?" A nurse smiled in the door frame hesitantly. "Do you know Mr. Smythe?" Kurt raised an eyebrow shocked at the question. The nurse continued. "He came in at the same time you did and was with you guys. I just assumed …"

"Yes we do." Kurt said quickly, sharing a confused look with Blaine. "Why, what's going on?"

The nurse looked hesitantly at the two of them and braced herself. "He's missing."

"What do you mean he's missing?" Blaine said straightening up out of bed with the help of Kurt's hands aiding him. "I thought he was in critical condition?"

"He is. The doctors went to check on him and found his room empty." The nurse said concerned.

Kurt shook his head trying to make sense of everything. "Check Santana Lopez's room, he may have gone to talk to her."

The nurse grimaced. "That's the other thing …" She sighed and approached the two of them.

"What do you mean the 'other thing'? What's going on?" Blaine said, his voice getting more urgent. He was uncomfortable with the entire situation. What was happening?

"When Ms. Lopez woke up from her drug induced nap, we asked her about him. She didn't take it well." The nurse said hesitantly, testing every word with the males in front of her.

Kurt nodded. He could only imagine that conversation. "What'd she say?"

"Nothing." The nurse said simply letting out a soft humorless chuckle. "She seemed empty. She said she didn't know where he was and then we left. When we came back to check on her …" She stopped, not knowing how to continue.

Blaine and Kurt shared a look of concern, understanding where the conversation was going. After a moment, Blaine cleared his throat and spoke up. "When you came back and checked on her she wasn't there was she?" He understood Santana too well. His eyes found Kurt's and he knew if Kurt had disappeared, there was nothing that would stop him from following.

The nurse handed them a crumbled note from her pocket. Blaine's eager hands found it first and he undid the note slowly, seeing Santana's quick handwriting.

_I can't stay here. I need to find him. I need to keep him safe. Don't worry about me. Feel better. –Santana._


	6. Chapter 5

Santana collapsed onto the sidewalk, squinting in pain. Her side was on fire. She knew she could rip her stitches if she stressed herself too much, but she needed to continue. Wincing, she grabbed the side of a fence and lifted herself to her feet.

She took a minute to compose herself. Santana gazed down at her outfit, the one she had worn at the shooting. The hole in her shirt, due to the bullet, was still there. The blood stain in her shirt was still extremely visible. But she had found an old zip hoodie of Sebastian's in her car, so with that on top, it didn't look as bad.

Slowly but surely she walked up the pathway to the familiar location, and entered the building. Because it was a weekend, it was awfully quiet, but Santana preferred it that way. Stumbling down the halls in pain, she took a deep breath before pushing open the doors of the room she wanted.

Inside the room, there were gasps and laughs. "Well if it isn't Santana Lopez … still breathing I see?" One of the men chuckled.

"Fuck you Thad." She hissed, taking a strong step forward, pain shooting up her body. "Now what did you do with him?"

Instead the Wabler's practice room, the Warbler's exchanged awkward expressions. Some caught by surprise and some not knowing what to say. Thad took a step forward. "He's dead Santana. We shot him." He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Sorry."

Santana almost lunged at him, until she realized that wasn't the case. "You didn't kill him asshole, don't lie to me. I know he survived. Now what did you do to him?"

Thad let out a laugh. "That was a fatal shot Santana. There was no way he could have survived."

That's when it clicked. They didn't realize Sebastian had survived the shooting which meant Sebastian had left the hospital on his own accord. And if they didn't know he survived, that meant he was perfectly safe. She nodded softly, and took a step backwards. "Fine. I'm going to go …" She started, and turned away.

"Wait a minute. What do you know?" Thad hissed, taking a step forward. The Warbler's responded in the same fashion, but Santana noticed a shift in their actions. They were no longer staring at Thad to respond to him, but Santana. After the shooting, the Warbler's alliance had shifted away from Thad. Santana made a mental note of that.

Santana put on her poker face. She couldn't let him know that Sebastian was alive. "I know you're a dick. And that you'll regret taking Sebastian from me." She said it with as much hatred and disdain she could muster. It wasn't hard; she already hated him with a burning passion.

Thad raised an eyebrow and took a step forward. "No. You told me that you knew he survived." His eyes fell down to her attire. Her sweatshirt rode up slightly, revealing the blood stain on the shirt underneath. "I shot you, and yet you're wearing the same clothes. Bloodstains and all. I'm assuming you went to the hospital to get the bullet removed … which is why you're wearing what you on before ... which means …"

"Wait a minute." Santana said suddenly, stopping him in his tracks. "You didn't shoot me. Sebastian did … or at least that's what I thought." After the shooting Santana had replayed that scene in her head, but after all of her feelings had mixed in with it, she wasn't sure what the truth was anymore. Sebastian had the gun, Thad reached for it, Santana was shot. Had Thad really been the one to press the trigger? If so, why did Sebastian hold the gun to begin with?

"He was supposed to. But he was too weak to finish the job off himself." He said, rolling his eyes at the weak girl in front of him. "So I had to take matters into my own hands." Thad eyed Santana. She certainly was spirited and passionate for someone who was just shot. His eyes softened slightly. "That's why I killed him. He didn't do what he needed to do."

"And why did he need to kill me?" Santana begged, taking a weak step forward. She felt dizzy but she pushed past it. Santana needed answers. "Why does it matter if I live or die?"

Thad sighed. "You can't know that answer. Besides, I'm done with your questions. You can leave now." He took one last glare at the girl until turning away and walking toward the back of the room, to the Warblers.

Annoyed, Santana pushed away toward the exit and made her way to the door. As she put her hand on the door knob, she heard Thad clear his voice in the back. "And Santana? Thank you for informing me that Sebastian survived. The next time I try and kill him, I won't mess up."

Her heart sank. Santana wanted to fight him, but in her condition there was no way to take him on. She wanted to verbally bitch slap him, but when she did that before, it had only made things worse. She wanted to kill him, but she had no means to. So instead, she took in a deep breath and pushed the doors open, and left the Dalton Academy behind her.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, things were quiet. Kurt had left Blaine for an hour to gather his stuff. If he was going to sleepover at the hospital, he was going to need a few things.

Blaine laid in silence in his hospital room. He replayed those hours over and over, swearing to himself. He needed to help Sebastian. Blaine knew all too well what he was going through. He also needed to figure out his next course of action. How was he going to protect Kurt?

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Blaine's eyes met a man's who hadn't seen in years. "Hey Blaine." The man smiled softly, walking into the room.

Blaine took the man's presence in. He hadn't seen him in a long time. Where had he been? Blaine noticed that he seemed older. The time away from Lima must have aged him. But instead of embracing him back into his life, he felt bitter. "Why are you here?"

But Blaine knew why. And the stranger knew that. It was obvious. "When I heard you were here, I came immediately. I want to help you out with the Warblers. I figured you could use your older brother's help."

Blaine remembered Cooper's days as a Warbler. How Cooper had ran the organization smoothly. He was the lead, and the rest of the Warbler's bowed down to him. That was why, when Blaine became a Warbler, he assumed a position of authority. That was why it was so easy for Blaine to establish a self-defense club that had since spiraled out of control.

"Coop. You can't help. You weren't a Warbler when the fight club was established." He said shortly. As much as he wanted help, Blaine knew no one could help him.

"But your fight club has morphed into more. You don't fight to protect each other, you fight to hurt one another. You aren't a fight club anymore Blaine, you're a gang." Cooper said matter of factly as he sat down at the foot of the bed. "And when I ran the Warblers, we had the same structure. We straddled the line between family and gang ourselves. Once a Warbler always a Warbler. You couldn't leave it, and if you did, you paid a price."

Blaine sighed. "But how does that make a difference …"

"Because you, my brother, are trying to leave the Warblers." Cooper said seriously leaning forward. He remembered every moment at Dalton, and remembered the same steps he had taken years ago. His mind ran down memory lane. Cooper was determined to save his brother. "And I …" He started, sharing a look with Blaine and feeling that familiar surge of family. "And I am the only man that has ever left the Warblers, and survived to tell the tale."


	7. Chapter 6

"Fuck Santana, you're not supposed to be here." Sebastian hissed as he pounded in the punching bag. His shoulder burned, the bullet wound still sore from the day before. But he didn't care. With every punch of the bag, he imagined it was Thad's face.

He took another swing.

Santana approached him with a thankful smile. Immediately after she visited Dalton she had started her search for him. After hours of searching the usual spots, that's when it hit her. Sebastian was now an enemy to the Warblers. And if he need to hide, why not hide in plain sight on enemy grounds? Somewhere public where Thad couldn't touch him.

Like McKinkley High School.

The gym was empty considering it was a Saturday afternoon. The only thing filling the room was Sebastian's presence and the repetitive pounding of the punching bag. When Santana made it over to the bag, she grabbed it in her hands, making Sebastian stop in his place not wanting to accidentally hurt her.

"So are you going to tell me?" Santana started, raising an eyebrow. "How you resurrected yourself from the dead? Why you sacrificed yourself for me knowing full well Thad wanted me gone? Why none of these puzzle pieces fit together? Please explain to me what's going on." She said, her wish turning into a plea. Santana Lopez was never the victim, and now that she sat here oblivious and lost, she hated it.

Sebastian gestured for her to move to the side. Once she did, he took another swing at the bag. "Thad asked me to kill you. I would rather die than do that, so that's what I did." He said taking a deep breath and throwing his fist again. "But the ambulance that was called found me and saved me just in time."

Santana took a small step forward. "Don't you ever do that again. Don't you ever try and die for me." She said seriously. It warmed her heart to know he cared, but the thought of Sebastian dying for her chilled her to the bone.

He stopped suddenly midswing. Letting his hands fall to his sides, Sebastian looked breathlessly over at Santana. "It's not a matter of discussion. I'll always sacrifice myself for you." He said, rolling his eyes as if it were obvious and then kneeing the bag before him. "Besides, you know you'd do the same for me."

It was true. Santana couldn't argue that. She would easily take thousands of bullets for the man before her. Instead of continuing on that path of conversation, knowing it was a losing one, she switched the subject. "Why does Thad want me dead?"

"Induction." He said simply, doing a punch-kick combination. "You have to kill someone that matters to you to show your loyalty to the club."

Santana fell back slightly in shock. Although Thad had pulled a gun on her, she still had it in her mind that their fight club was nothing big. To hear Sebastian inform her that they have to kill to be in it, made it all too real for her.

"Does … that mean … oh my god … has Blaine?" She said, her mind running over each Warblers' face. Who had each person killed? When her mind landed on Blaine, her heart skipped a beat. Had Anderson really killed someone?

Sebastian stopped the bag, and took a deep breath. "No. It's a newer initiative. Besides, you forget, Blaine created fight club. The creators make the rules, they don't follow them."

"And Blaine created this rule?" Santana said, still in shock.

Sebastian shook his head. "Again you're forgetting our basis. We started as a self defense club. For Blaine, to join the club you just had to be eager to learn. Eventually when our club grew to include all of the Warblers' we legitimatized ourselves. So to join the club you needed to be able to perform a few simple moves. Over the years this initiation developed."

He wiped the sweat off his face with the towel in his pocket. Sebastian's mind replayed the all too familiar scenes in which he was telling Santana. "By the time Blaine had considered leaving, Thad had decided he wanted to induct people by means of fighting. You needed to beat the person you versed in order to make it into the club. That's when Blaine could tell it was spiraling out of control. And then one day it changed."

"They were inducting a new Warbler, his name was Greg." Sebastian sighed. "Out in the parking lot him and Nick were fighting. Greg got in a few good punches, but Nick was too good. As Greg started to lose, Thad got angrier. The Warblers hadn't inducted anyone new, so he kept egging Greg on. "Kill him!" He had yelled over and over. At first we thought it was Thad being Thad, until we heard the click of a 9 millimeter and saw him point it at Greg."

Santana leaned in as Sebastian told his story. One of her hands found his, and she took it all in, trying not to say a word. She was baffled at the story Sebastian recounted.

"We all stopped." Sebastian said quieter, as he pulled her down onto a seat with him. "I was as shocked as you were when he pulled the gun on you the first time. After all we're a bunch of high schoolers, who owns a fucking gun anyway?" He said with a humorless chuckle.

"Thad approached Greg and smirked at Nick. He said "You kill Nick or we kill you." When Greg didn't respond, he shot him in cold blood. Greg died in an instant." Sebastian shivered, and closed his eyes at the memory. He felt a soothing hand reach his back to comfort him. "Kill or be killed, that is our new way of life," Thad had said. And that's when everything changed." Sebastian looked up into Santana's.

"I hadn't been inducted yet. That was the first meeting I had been to. Needless to say I was freaked. I tried to hide, I didn't want to come back … and then I ran into Blaine." He sighed. "Blaine has saved my life more times than I can count. Apparently Thad had planned on getting the Warblers' to get me. I had seen too much, I fled … and Thad couldn't have his secret breaking out."

"So Blaine told me and gave me a plan. I was going to injure Thad's number one enemy. That way he'd have to be thankful for me. He'd stop his plans of killing me, and induct me right there." He said looking up at Santana.

"But who did you injure …" Santana started ask until it clicked inside of her. Blaine had been the leader of the Warblers. If Thad was starting this revolution, then his number one enemy would have been his competition for captain. "That's why you slushied Blaine." It all made sense now. That was why Blaine never seemed too bitter about it. It was because Blaine knew it was killed or be killed.

Sebastian nodded. "I pleaded for Thad to let me in, to accept me back into the club. Thad accepted, but Blaine had said he never wavered from his plan. Although I was a Warbler, Thad was going to get me. So I slushied Blaine and by doing so that made me Thad's closest ally. I became co-captain with him." He squeezed her hand. "Blaine fled for safety, meanwhile I stayed for safety. Sometimes it's easier to have your enemies closer than to try and escape them."

Santana gripped his hands, and he looked back at her earnestly. If there was one message he wanted her to remember, it was this. "Not everything is as it seems."

Blaine listened to Cooper and nodded. "You do realize that this is nearly impossible to do? That this probably won't work?"

Cooper sighed. "There's no other way. You know that. I know my methods are mad, but they produce results. After all, it worked for me."

"Fine." He said not wanting to argue. Blaine wanted to say that Cooper's situation had been different. But there was no use. The plan was already set. "So it's decided? I'm going to meet with Thad."

"You're going to meet with Thad." Cooper nodded, leaning back in his chair. "And this time, he won't know what hit him."


	8. Chapter 7

As soon as the hospital told Blaine he could go, he practically sprinted out of there. He gave a serious nod toward Cooper. "See you later?"

"I'll be the one driving the get away car." Cooper chuckled, giving him a wave before leaving.

Blaine found his car and made his way over to Kurt's. The activities that had occurred had not gone unbeknownst to Burt. A few articles about it had made the paper. None of the facts were correct, of course. Strangers had shot McKinley and Dalton students. It had been extremely tragic, but they all had made full recoveries. The shooter in question had yet to be found.

However, Burt felt more comfortable with Kurt in his custody. He didn't blame anyone, especially because he did not know the full story. But Burt made things stricter in his house, trying to keep Kurt as safe as he could. Burt couldn't lose Kurt, and the shooting was as close as he ever wanted to come to it.

Blaine made sure to find Burt first when he made it to the Hummel residence. Burt greeted him happily, almost like a second son. This made what Blaine had to do even harder.

Blaine squared his shoulders, and blurted it out. Burt didn't believe what Blaine had said at first. "That's not possible," Burt whispered, with tears in his eyes. But eventually with enough persistence, Burt believed it. It warmed Blaine's heart to know Burt didn't want to believe the facts he was telling him. But no matter how much he hated to do this, it needed to be done.

There were screams and yells. Blaine took them all without care. He was doing the right thing. So when Burt physically pushed him out of the house and tried to throw a punch at him, Blaine couldn't say he blamed him.

But he got away. And that left one last thing for him to do, talk to Kurt. He found his way to the backyard, and found a tree near Kurt's window. His arm was out of its sling, but it was still excruciating to climb. Each moment of pressure on his arm, shot a wave of pain throughout his body. But within minutes he was the top, near Kurt's open window. He saw Kurt look toward him with a soft smile, filled with confusion, as he helped Blaine inside.

When he stood inside, Kurt was about to speak when Blaine interrupted him. "I'm leaving in a few minutes. I have some stuff to deal with. I just came here to tell you about what is going to go down, since you wanted me to be honest."

Kurt was shocked at how blunt Blaine was. "Uhm, okay yeah. Sit down." He said gesturing to his seat next to him.

Blaine did what was instructed of him, and tried to be as composed as possible. "I'm meeting with Thad in an hour." He said simply, watching Kurt's face fall as he spoke. "And you're not coming." As horrible as it sounded out loud, Blaine needed to spell it out to Kurt. There was no way he would let Kurt go anywhere near that meeting.

Kurt shook his head, leaning forward. "I'm going and there's no discussion Blaine."

"No you're not." He said, more intense. "Besides Burt's not going to let you go."

Kurt raised an eyebrow in response. "I'm obviously not going to tell him the truth …"

"Well I did." Blaine said shortly. "Or well … a version of the truth that won't get anyone in trouble." Blaine sighed, reaching for Kurt's hand. "I told him that it was me." He took a deep breath, "I told him I shot you."

Kurt raised an eyebrow, and dropped Blaine's hand. "WHAT?" He yelled, then immediately covered his mouth. He had heard the screams before, but they had been muffled. It all made sense now.

Blaine sighed. "Just let him believe that okay? I think it makes it easier on him. I'll be out of the picture. In his mind, that makes you safe."

"But then we can't see each other." Kurt pleaded, reaching for him only to find space between them.

Blaine stiffened, and squared his shoulders. "Like I said … that makes you safe." His eyes found the floor, and he turned to the window. "I have to go."

Kurt's voice cracked as he lunged forward finding Blaine's hand. "Don't do this. Don't give up on us. Don't go meet Thad. Don't choose this."

"That's where you're wrong Kurt." Blaine muttered, pulling his hand away and looking out the window. He closed his eyes slowly, feeling the tears fall down. "I'm not choosing anything. I'm just finally accepting my fate. I'm accepting the only thing that will keep you safe."

Before Kurt could say anymore, Blaine swung his legs outside and onto the branch. "Bye Kurt." He said, holding down the 'I love you' and 'I'm sorry' that he wanted to say.

Kurt's eyes stared outside the open window for a moment, his heart breaking. But he shook his head suddenly, wiping away the tears. Blaine hadn't given up on keeping Kurt safe. So Kurt wouldn't give up on keeping Blaine in his life. His hand found his phone quickly and called the familiar number.

"Sebastian? It's Kurt. I hear there's going to be a meeting tonight?" Kurt asked urgent and determined. "Count me in."

Once the Andersons got to the location, they flashed their lights and parked. The car across the lot, noticed the lights and took it as their cue to meet them. As Blaine and Cooper leaned against their car and waited, Sebastian and Santana walked hand and hand towards them.

"Do we know the plan?" Cooper asked, assuring that nothing was going to go wrong. "I mean it. One simple mistake and someone gets hurt."

Sebastian reached for his pocket, and grabbed the handgun from it. After cocking the gun, he gestured to it. "I never miss my target." His other hand gripped Santana's hand harder and he gestured to the end of the parking lot.

Blaine nodded in response. "Well then, let's end this thing once and for all."


	9. Chapter 8

_**Please note:** This chapter was a hard one to write. Every single word is important and accurate. Read in between the lines. If something sounds weird or a particular word choicce is curious - it's on purpose. Read into it. Also, **do not stop reading at the end. **The only thing I will say regarding it is - **this is not the end of that character's story. **Think about how I write, think about what I've said in the past and what the character's have said in the past. If you think about that, I guarantee you you will not hate me for the end. And if you do, just please, read the next chapter. **Everything will be explained in the next chapter.**_

_**Keeping that in mind, enjoy and don't hate me.**_

Blaine noted that Thad was located in the center of the Warbler's, not in front. He eyed his position. To Blaine it seemed as if that was a sign of cowardice, not strength. He continued forward, sharing a knowing glance with Santana.

"Good luck" She mouthed to him. But Blaine didn't respond. He didn't need luck, he needed a miracle.

Thad grinned cockily at the three of them. Cooper had stayed back in the car, out of sight. He wouldn't be needed until later.

Sebastian took a step forward in front of Blaine, causing Thad to erupt into laughter. "Are you fucking stupid?" He hissed, partially humored, but mostly pissed. "Get the fuck over here Sebastian. This isn't a joke."

"I'm not joking." He said strong, squaring his shoulders. "We're here to offer a draw. Everyone goes their separate ways. No one gets hurt." Sebastian's hand knowingly found Santana's and squeezed it. Thad's eyes were drawn to that connection.

A small smirk lit up his face. "I'm going to pass." Thad chuckled, having an idea.

"Thad. Just do it." One of the Warbler's said behind him.

Another agreed. "Please. Let's just end it."

"ENOUGH." Thad hissed, running a hand through his hair. His eyes found Blaine's, and rage pumped through his blood. This entire situation had made him look weak. Thad was going to change that.

He took a step forward and took out a gun. As soon as Sebastian heard the click of the safety come off, his own gun was raised in response back at Thad. Both were armed and loaded.

"Drop the gun or your girlfriend gets it." Thad said, moving the gun from pointing to Sebastian to Santana.

Sebastian took a step forward. "I'll shoot you first. You know I never miss."

Thad raised an eyebrow. "Are you really going to take the chance that you could do that?" He took a step forward in front of the Warblers. Internally he chuckled knowing full well Sebastian would back down. He _loved _Santana. And for Thad, love was a weakness he had no problem exploiting.

"Do it." Santana egged on, not caring if she got hurt. She wanted this to end. She wanted her life back.

But when, Sebastian lowered the gun and put the safety back on, Thad didn't even try and suppress his grin.

However, that wasn't the part that shocked everyone. It was the moment Sebastian started to laugh and walk over to Thad that made everyone's heart stop.

"What are you doing?" Blaine asked bewildered watching his ally cross over to the enemy line.

"Oh I called Sebastian last night. We had a great talk. He told me your plan about planning this little "meeting" to kill me." Thad chuckled elbowing his friend as Sebastian took his place beside him. "Sebastian is a true Warbler."

Sebastian took the safety off of his gun and raised it again, this time to Blaine. "You know it's funny Blaine. I realized something the other day. All of this bullshit … my life being in shambles … it's your entire fault." His eyes found Santana's speechless but frantic ones. "All I want to do is be a Warbler and date my beautiful girlfriend. But I can't, want to know why that is Blaine?" He hissed, taking a step closer. The barrel of the gun still pointing towards Blaine's forehead. "Because you're alive. Because I wimped out and didn't kill you the first minute I got. Because you tried to leave the Warblers."

The Warblers shifted behind Sebastian and Thad uncomfortably. Sebastian was sounding mad … as if he had lost his mind. This wasn't the man they knew, and as they looked across at Santana's disgusted expression, they figured this wasn't the man she knew either.

But Blaine nodded. His face was solemn, accepting was occurring. This wasn't a shock. "It's funny Sebastian because you're all talk. Your words are empty." He said devoid of emotion. Sebastian could complain all he wanted but Blaine knew that Sebastian could never and would never kill another human being.

"Speaking of talking …" Thad chuckled next to his friend. "Tell him who you were talking to last night Sebastian. He'll _love _that."

Blaine's heart started to race. This _wasn't_ part of the plan. "What are you …" He started to say before he saw Kurt in the middle of the Warbler's being held back. Kurt struggled in their grip, but the Warblers tightened their hold. Kurt mouthed a small 'I'm sorry.'

"No." Blaine said firmly, his voice serious. He straightened up and looked right at Thad. "Let him go now."

Sebastian gestured to Kurt. "He called me last night. He wanted in. So I fulfilled his wish." He said raising and eyebrow and turning back to Blaine. He chose his words carefully. "I thought it was important he witnessed this."

"Besides Blaine, I like to have an audience. You know that." Thad chuckled glancing between Santana and Kurt.

Santana stood there in shock. One step toward Kurt and someone would get shot. A step toward Blaine to help, and they were dead. And as she glanced at the man she loved holding a gun to her close friend, Santana did not want to take a step near him. In fact, she wanted to take many steps away from him.

Either way, she was stuck as a mere audience.

Blaine gulped feeling the seconds run bye. "An audience for what?" He asked, looking at Sebastian square in the eyes. "Don't touch Kurt. Please. Hurt me instead." He said in a rush, filled with emotion. This wasn't the plan. Everything was now improvisation. And this mere fact scared Blaine. "_Please._" He pleaded.

They shared a glance, before Sebastian gave a small nod and squared his shoulders.

The only sound that followed was the sound of a bullet being fired.

Everything happened quickly after that. Blaine stumbled back in pain and fell onto the group clutching his stomach. Kurt's cries filled the room and he pushed his way toward Blaine, only to have the rest of the Warbler's hold onto him for dear life. The last thing they wanted was to have Kurt crying over Blaine's body. They didn't want to make a scene.

"Get him out of here." Thad ordered, gesturing to where they had came and started to walk back with the Warblers. "We need to get out of here now."

Sebastian looked back and shared a glance with a frantic and sobbing Santana. "Blaine … are you okay? Blaine, answer me. Oh my god, Blaine come back to me. Why aren't you answering?" Her voice was getting more ragged and higher pitch as time went on.

He took a deep breath and turned toward the end of the lot where he saw the Warbler's struggling to keep Kurt in their grasp. "That shot was loud, we need to get out of here now before people come." Sebastian said as he caught up to them, making sure to stay composed.

With every cry and scream Kurt made, Sebastian rose above it. He refused to let himself be affected by what he was hearing. If he let himself for a minute feel sorry, Sebastian's world would fall apart. So, he put on a poker face and marched on. This would be the hard part. "Hurry up guys. It's finally over." He said as the group filtered out of the lot, "Blaine Anderson is officially dead."


	10. Chapter 9

_**Author's Note: **Hope this makes up for the last chapter, thanks for reading!_

**After Chapter Six but Before Chapter Seven.**

"So. What's the plan?" Sebastian asked, the minute he saw Santana fall asleep outside in the waiting room. He wanted her to know as little as possible, it was safer that way. Blaine sighed as he looked down at the foot of his bed at his friend.

"Before I tell you anything, remember you owe me. Okay?" Blaine said, getting a returning nod from Sebastian. "Do you remember what happened to my brother?"

Sebastian nodded solemnly knowing the story. "Of course." He didn't add much more, not knowing what else to truly say.

"Well. You don't really know the real story." Blaine sighed, giving a small grimace. "Cooper wanted to leave the Warblers. Things were getting to be too much. He couldn't handle it anymore. So he hatched a plan."

"A plan?" Sebastian said curiously, leaning back in his chair. "What plan?"

Blaine bit his lip, unsure on how to tell the story. "He found the loophole of the Warbler pledge."

"What loophole?" Sebastian said mystified. Part of him thought Blaine was on too many pain killers. "A person is a Warbler for life."

"That's it." Blaine leaned forward, emphasizing that point. "Once a Warbler always a Warbler right? You can never stop being a Warbler. As long as you're breathing, you will always be a Warbler." He raised an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side. "So if you stop breathing …"

"Wait, hold the phone … what the fuck …" Sebastian said slowly understanding.

Sebastian wasn't at Dalton when it occurred, but it was a story that was passed down in Warbler tradition. Cooper Anderson, one of the infamous founders of the Warblers, had had a terrible accident. It was a story that, as a Warbler, you knew in detail. "Blaine, your brother died in a car accident. It was a tragic loss and we will forever look back and mourn his death." But when Blaine didn't respond, he repeated himself. "Right?" His voice was a little bit more feverish.

Blaine's eyes found a figure in the doorways, and Sebastian followed them. "Holy fuck." He whispered, as if he had seen a ghost, which in his mind, he had. "Is that … ?" He said curiously in a daze. "Cooper Anderson?"

Cooper gave a nod. "Turns out I didn't die. Who knew right?" He chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "I died, so I could survive." Cooper gestured to his body. "I'm safe."

Sebastian's eyes quickly turned to Blaine's again understanding. "So that means …"

"That means that we're going to meet Thad. And I'm going to die." Blaine said fully aware of the risks he was taking. He shared a serious look with Sebastian before continuing. "And you will be the one that kills me."

Sebastian felt as if he was punched in the gut. He couldn't. He wouldn't. "I can't kill you Blaine. I won't be the one that does it. If you want to do this, if you have some insane death wish, then do it on your own watch."

"You don't understand." Blaine pleaded. "I need you to do it. Thad's going to go to you to shoot me. You know he will. You were supposed to do it from the start." He scoffed. "Thad is all about the mind games. He could have shot me thousands of times by now, but he wants you to break and do it. When you kill me it will be a victory for him."

Sebastian shrugged. "I'll say no."

"And then he'll bring Santana into it." Blaine quickly added. "Thad may be a dick but his moves are predictable."

Sebastian shook his head. Blaine was 100% right, but he wouldn't take that risk. "I won't bring her."

Blaine grimaced at how difficult Sebastian was being. It was to be expected but it still wasn't welcome. "You know she needs to be there. She's in too deep. Kurt isn't a threat to the Warblers but Santana on the other hand has provoked them too much. However, the minute you kill me, it will make her safe. She will choose us over you because she will believe that you were the bad guy all along."

Cooper nodded from the corner. "Her crying will convince everyone else of the honesty of the situation. Thad will have no more doubts where your allegiance lies, you will have saved Santana, and Blaine will be safe."

"And Kurt?" Sebastian asked quietly. Every moment that passed made him realize he had to do this. Suddenly he become nervous in his abilities to lie … to be the bad guy.

Blaine shook his head. "I'll take care of it. I'll make sure he doesn't come to the meeting or follow us. He'll be safe at home. When this is all over, we can tell him."

Sebastian stayed quiet in his seat soaking everything in. They were right. Sebastian could save Santana. She could finally be free. He could save Blaine too, a man he owed his life too on numerous occasions. He knew he had to do it.

"You have the best shot too." Blaine added. "You'll shoot me in the side, and I'll fall down in pain. There will be enough blood for it to be believable, but the key is to not hit any of crucial my organs. So shoot here." He said gesturing to his lower abdomen. "I'll fall, bleed, and cry but Cooper will call 911 as soon as we start talking with them, and so I'll be in the hospital within minutes of my accident. I will live, but the Warbles will think I died."

Sebastian winced. "And the pain?" He asked hesitantly.

Blaine looked over at Cooper and nodded. "I have to do what I have to do. Coop got hit by a car, so I think I can take a bullet wound." He eyed Sebastian. "Especially if you shoot me. You have the best shot around. I know you'll hit the safe spot."

"And then what? After you die I mean?" Sebastian asked shakily.

"That's when our real plan strikes. They will ignore Santana because she'll no longer be a threat, and I'll be dead. We will have you on the inside to get us information, and then we formulate our plan." Blaine said surely. "We will end it. Finally." He gave Sebastian a serious glare. "You owe me. Remember that."

Cooper gave a nervous grin. He had understood the plan, after all he was the one to formulate it, but he was still nervous. This involved trusting a man to shoot his brother correctly. That was a lot of faith to put into someone that he didn't know. He raised an eyebrow and looked over to Sebastian. "I'm trusting you to save Blaine's life like he has saved yours on multiple occasions." He warned.

Sebastian gave a soft nod, and let his eyes find Santana's sleeping body outside of the room. He gave a small smile at how peaceful she looked. "Of course. Let's do it." His heart sank when he thought about how much Santana would hate him afterwards. But if that was the price, he was willing to pay it. "I'll do anything to keep her safe."

**Present Time**

Santana rushed into the hospital at Blaine's side, Cooper following shortly after. The doctors pushed the duo out of the way, and closed the door behind them as they entered a room. There was a flurry of activity around Blaine, and even though the walls were thin, they still heard silence from Blaine.

Cooper held Santana in his arms as he started to worry. She hadn't known about the plan. Her reaction was 100% real, and with every passing second where Blaine didn't respond, he worried it had all gone wrong.

A few nurses came out a few minutes later, and gave a soft smile. "You can come in now." They said, leaving the room empty.

Santana shared a confused and bewildered look at Cooper. "I don't know if I can see him like that … dead … I …" She started, until she saw his blank expression. Why was she the only one sad about this? Cooper was his brother after all.

"Come on." Cooper said softly, grabbing her hand and walking into the room with her.

In the hospital bed, Blaine laid in peace. He was shitless, lying there with his torso bandaged. The blood stained clothes were in a corner of the room, and some of the remaining blood was on the sheets. It had looked like there had been a war.

But suddenly, there was a small rustle of sheets causing Santana to gasp and Cooper to let out the breath he was holding. "Holy fuck … you're alive." Santana whispered, collapsing into a chair in surprise.

Cooper ran to his brother and tightly hugged him, ignoring the groans of pain that it elicited from Blaine. "I'm the worst brother for agreeing to this."

"No, you're best." Blaine chuckled, letting go of Cooper and watching him sit at the end of the bed. "I had to do it."

There was time to tell Blaine that Kurt had seen what occurred, or that he was still with the Warblers. There was time to explain to Santana that Sebastian was not the bad guy, if they decided to tell her the truth. Not knowing kept her safe, but they all knew she could handle the truth. But in that moment, they pushed all of those thoughts out of their head. Blaine was safe and alive. They appreciated the simplicity of that moment.

"Well then …" Blaine smiled weakly from his bed, not having much energy to stand up. "I guess it's time for phase two."


	11. Chapter 10

_**Author's Note: **Sorry for the delay between chapters (I had finals and work, I'll post more regularly now!)_

**The Next Day.**

After Santana and Cooper had visited Blaine in the hospital, he had passed out. The loss of blood had clouded his brain and made him dizzy. Blaine needed his rest.

That being said, things were still hectic at the hospital. Cooper didn't move from his brothers side as he watched the heart monitor beep at a rhythmic pace.

And then there was Santana. She had lost a friend, and a boyfriend, that night. At the time she didn't notice the Warblers taking Kurt. It was only in the ambulance ride over she realized the were one person short. And even a day later, he was no where to be found. She tried to focus all her energy on finding Kurt. Where had the Warblers taken him? ... Or better question, what would they do to him?

Santana intended on finding out.

But in the back of her mind, she couldn't help but be confused. The man she saw yesterday wasn't Sebastian. She knew him heart and soul ... that man yesterday was a stranger.

As she contemplated this, she heard Blaine's heart monitor pick up slightly. Turning her attention toward Blaine, she saw his eyes flutter.

"Hey little bro ..." Cooper smiled and squeezed his brother's hand.

Blaine looked around disoriented and then smiled weakly at Cooper. "Hi ..." His voice cracked, rough with sleep. His eyebrows scrunched at the sight of the two of them. "Where's Kurt? Did you not tell him I was okay?" A billion thoughts ran through his mind.

Santana swore quietly to herself. "Blaine ... you know what happened." She said, remembering the previous day's events.

Blaine looked at her bewildered. "I got shot, and I felt this unbelievable pain. I heard his voice and then I blacked out." He said recounting what he knew, his eyes found Santana's. "Why?"

"Oh my god ..." She started, realizing Blaine was unaware that Kurt was in danger.

Cooper looked up at her awkwardly and then back down at his brother. "The Warblers have him Blaine." He tried to squeeze his hand reassuringly. "But don't worry. Santana and I have a plan."

Sebastian sat in an empty class room, going over yesterday's events. So much had happened. And yet, here he sat, one day later, a new man.

Who was he? Was he the insane man who chuckled and left his friends to help the Warblers? Or was he the man who promise Blaine that he would put on a good show? That line got blurred more each second.

He had called Kurt and told him to come that day because he knew it would make it believable. Kurt wanted to help, so Sebastian told him everything ... except the part where he was supposed to hurt Blaine. So all the emotions those two expressed that day, it was real.

Which made Thad believe it. And that made Blaine safe.

And everything after that became a blur. Sebastian assumed second lead position next to Thad. He recounted the tale of how he fooled Blaine to the rest of the Warblers over and over again. About how Blaine trusted him, and how naive he was. And then, plot twist, he pulled Kurt into it.

Little did the Warblers expect that they were the ones being fooled. Everything was going as plan ... even Santana.

He hadn't heard from her, and Sebastian knew she had given up. She picked her friends. But who could blame her? He shot Blaine. He seemingly killed him. Santana didn't know the truth. And if things continued the way they were, she never would.

Sebastian was stuck in his thoughts for a while, only to be awakened by his phone vibrating once on the table in front of him.

Absentmindedly he reached for it and opened the text.

_**Santana:** Where's Kurt?_

The text shocked him. He recalled the Warbler's taking him away after the shooting, but Thad and him separated from the pack shortly after. Sebastian had been told that Kurt was let go, after they were off the scene of the incident. They hadn't wanted him to draw attention to it, but when they were back at Dalton, Kurt was of no use to them.

_**Sebastian:** We don't have him. We let him go._

He wanted to ask her how she was. He wanted to ask how she was even texting the man that seemingly shot a good friend of hers. But he stuck to the topic, not wanting to jinx it.

_**Santana:** ..._

_**Santana:** He never came home. You've been lied to._

Sebastian's heart started to flutter as he looked up from his phone. He may have been accepted back, but they sure as hell didn't trust him enough to tell him that they still had Kurt.

What they wanted, he had no idea, but he intended on finding out.

**Sebastian:** _I'll bring him home. Trust me._

He didn't think about his words until he saw Santana's response.

**Santana:** _No. I won't trust you. And I never will again. From the sound of it, the Warblers don't trust you either. Looks like you made the wrong decision after all. Just know that Coop and I are coming after you guys. And it will take a miracle to keep you guys safe from us._

Sebastian angrily threw his phone across the room. He wanted to tell Santana everything, but to do so would make her unsafe. He knew Cooper wouldn't let her do anything that would put her in danger, but it still killed him.

Getting up out of his spot, he broke into a soft sob and paced the empty room. Sebastian had to be someone who wasn't him. Sebastian had to pretend to be a part of this horrible entity. Sebastian had to be a Warbler.

And what was worse, was that he hurt the woman he loved.

He kicked the desk in front of him and leaned over it, putting his elbows on the table and his head in his hands. The sobs became louder and louder with time.

Sebastian no longer had his friends and even in the midst of the Warblers, he knew he would never be a part of them. He was stuck in this life, forever.

Sebastian Smythe was alone.


	12. Chapter 11

_**Please note:** Sorry for the long hiatus! I hope the longer length of the update makes it worth the wait. I'm a little rusty, so again sorry if it sucks. In addition to this, I guarantee there are probably grammar mistakes. I tend to miss stuff. Leave me your thoughts, critiques, etc. Be brutal. Thanks!_

Sebastian walked into the Warbler meeting filled with mixed emotions. What was he to do? If he had mentioned that he knew that the Warblers had Kurt, he would have to reveal that Santana was the one texting him. And in one single move, he would ruin Santana's safety … he would ruin the cover they took so long to build.

The Warbler meeting was moved back into the choir room. Previously they had met in more secret locations, but today was cause for celebration. After all, their number one enemy was dead and no blood was on their hands.

To the Warblers, life was good.

Sebastian walked in and found his place in the front with Thad. He noticed an awkward tension in the room, and immediately knew its cause. Blaine was the _true _founder of the Warblers. Although his brother Cooper established it years prior, Blaine had made it what it was today. A part of history, a part of every Warbler, died with him the day he died.

Little did they know that Blaine was very much alive.

Thad took his spot in the front with Sebastian and grinned at his fellow Warblers. "You guys …" He smirked. "We did it. Finally, we can relax." He put a hand on Sebastian's shoulder with a smile. "And we have our man Sebastian back … granted he never truly left us."

Now it was Sebastian's turn to act, to pretend as if he had always been on their side. Once a Warbler, always a Warbler. "It was simple really. Blaine will believe anything, Kurt is clueless and I had Santana wrapped around my finger." He grinned, selling the deception. He leaned forward to the Warblers with a smile. "And now that that is over, I can take my rightful place back with my Warblers. Back _home_."

Sebastian turned to Thad, cueing him to speak again. He couldn't help but think about the many dynamics that came into play in the Warblers. He sensed a growing closeness between the other members, and a slow drift away from Thad himself. No one spoke anymore, no one truly laughed … the Warblers became more of an obligation rather than a choice.

He felt some of the Warblers eyeing him. Was he truly back? Was he always on their side? Or was he helping the others. Sebastian couldn't help but notice certain hopeful glances that made him believe that the Warblers were happier when they believed Sebastian was on their side. He was someone in power could help save the others.

But with Blaine dead, their spirits had died too. They gave up. Sebastian wanted to scream from the mountain tops that it was a lie that in fact, Blaine had won. But he kept his poker face in place. That truth was better revealed in time.

His eyes found Thad and he lightly shook his head. Was he that oblivious to the tension? Was he that far gone that he couldn't feel any shred of emotion when Blaine "died"? No matter how deep Sebastian tried to search within Thad, he realized he would not find a shred of humanity.

Santana was his humanity. No matter what tugged at him to give up, or do it the easy way … he knew he needed to make Santana proud. For Blaine it was Kurt. And both of them had the Warblers. Both Blaine and Sebastian needed to do right by their family, and both of them knew that they would never be happy unless it was all over.

When Thad called the meeting to an end, Sebastian watched him eye the group. There was something off, something not right there. Curious as to what it was, Sebastian watched Thad hesitate and then leave the room altogether.

It was Sebastian's turn to make a move. Without saying a word, without announcing anything, he took out his phone and sent out a mass text to the rest of the Warblers, not including Thad.

**_Sebastian: _**_Emergency meeting later. Do not say a word about it. 10pm. Auditorium. Be there._

When he stood up, he saw the Warblers slowly check their phones and read his text. Although some had looks of confusion and worry, he saw Nick and Trent turned to him and gave him a quick nod. Sebastian headed toward the door, quickly noting the small smiles that formed on their faces as he left.

Yes, it was clear now. Even the Warbler's wanted this to end. With their help Sebastian had no doubt in his mind that Thad was going down. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

It took all of Cooper's strength to keep Blaine restrained while he was in the hospital. It was hard emotionally for Blaine. Cooper knew that.

"Sebastian is a _traitor." _Blaine hissed making his voice crack. "I trusted him."

Santana spent the day in his room listening to the insults pile up. Blaine had trusted Sebastian. Blaine had helped Sebastian's loved ones stay safe. Blaine had saved Sebastian's life. And then he sacrificed the one person Blaine loved, Kurt.

She didn't trust Sebastian anymore. Her mind hated him. But her heart and soul still loved him and to hear him being teared down by a close friend killed her. Eventually she cracked.

"Shut it Anderson!" She yelled, finally breaking out of the bubble she had been confined to these past few days. Santana had tried to keep everything inside, she tried to not do anything else … afraid something would break. But that wasn't who she is. Santana was a fighter. She was sassy, take charge, and moping around all day only made her worse. "You don't think I'm hurt? He fucking chose the Warblers over me. _Me. His girlfriend."_

Blaine glared at her. "You have no idea what you are talking about. Besides, you're safe. Kurt isn't." He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up to see Cooper giving him a warning glance. He could tell this was heading in a bad direction. He couldn't let it spiral out of control.

"Are you fucking insane? Did the loss of blood effect how you _think!? _Look I get it, he shot you. He almost killed you and he brought Kurt there. But you weren't in love with him Blaine." She yelled through her tears. Santana's head was pounding, and her body felt weak. Was it physically possible to go through what she had and survive? Her heart hurt from Sebastian's deception, her mind hurt from overanalyzing, and her body hurt from constantly fighting back and running. "I lost him. I lost the love of my life." She shook her head at him. "At least you have the possibility of getting yours back."

"Oh fuck you Santana." Blaine argued back, leaning up from his bed only to receive a shooting pain in his side. Swearing, he laid back down hesitantly and looked up at the ceiling blinded with rage. "He may not have killed me but any deal we may have had is now broken. I _will _get Kurt back but the fact that he put him in that situation made me lose all trust in him."

Cooper's eyes widened as he glared at his brother. They had made the pact, before the fight, to keep that deal between them. Santana was not allowed to know about it, neither was Kurt. While Cooper thought it might be best not to tell her, for her safety, Blaine had given up. Why should he respect what Sebastian wanted? Sebastian didn't want Santana to know, and Blaine didn't want Kurt to be in danger. One of those wishes hadn't been respected, so Blaine sure as hell wanted to even out the score.

"What deal!?" Santana said angry, and confused. She ran a hand through her hair and paced the ground in front of him.

Blaine grimaced and moved up so he was sitting straight. It may not have been comfortable, but he needed to speak with her about this and he couldn't if he was lying down. "The deal I made with Sebastian before the fight. We planned it all. I told him to kill me."

Cooper swore to himself, regretting the fact that he didn't stop the conversation when he had a chance. When he finally looked up at Santana, the first thing he saw was her broken expression.

"So … Sebastian was supposed to shoot you? You planned it?" Santana said, getting emotional. She had been determined to hate Sebastian when the accident occurred. But if everything Sebastian had did was an act, then that changed everything. "The only thing you didn't plan was Kurt being there?" She guessed.

Blaine nodded. "That was the condition. Kurt would stay safe. Sebastian's pretending to be a Warbler, and him singlehandedly "killing" me was all part of the plan. That would make him safe and it would give us a source on the inside. You would choose us over Sebastian. You sobbing made it believable."

"All of that made you safe. The only people who know Cooper is alive is a select few and you, Kurt and Sebastian. That makes him safe. People believe I'm dead, thus I'm safe. And Kurt wasn't supposed to be there, keeping him safe. But Sebastian called him and told him to come." He explained. "And now my boyfriend is god knows where and no one is letting me go find him." Blaine said between sobs. For a moment he let himself feel the pain. Reaching behind him, he grabbed his pillow and threw it at the wall in anger. "I trusted him," Blaine cried.

Santana stood in silence, understanding Blaine's pain. Kurt was in danger. She knew that. If Sebastian was in danger, she knew she would feel that too. But in that moment, Santana didn't know what to feel. And then something hit her.

"Wait ... why the fuck did I have to be there if Kurt didn't have to be?" Santana asked, looking at him. "I get that porcelain isn't intimidating, but didn't him being there make things more believable?" She saw Blaine lean back as if he had been slapped in the face. A part of her regretted the words, but she knew they had to be said. After all, she didn't understand the difference. Was she not as good as Kurt in their eyes?

Blaine leaned toward her. "Kurt was never apart of this Santana. He merely got caught in the middle."

"Neither was I!" She said, exasperated. Santana knew she was intimidating. Santana knew she did whatever she wanted. But she had never asked to be a part of this.

"I left the Warblers because I fell in love. Kurt is endanger because they're after me. But you? Sebastian fell in love while he was a Warbler. He continued to be a Warbler while you were changing him. You're Sebastian's humanity," Blaine explained.

"And Kurt is yours …"

"Yes he is." Blaine responded, as if the answer was obvious. "But there's a vast difference between Sebastian and I." He took a deep breath. He knew he should continue to be mad. That just because they digressed from their previous conversation, that didn't mean he changed his opinion. But he could tell Santana was oblivious and he honestly felt bad that she became such a vital part of this operation. "Sebastian was a horrible horrible person Santana. I don't think you understand how horrible he truly was before he met you."

Santana rolled her eyes. "Yeah he was a dick sometimes but …"

"But nothing." Blaine said. He sat speechless. If only she had witness what he had. Would she still have fallen in love with Sebastian? Sure, Blaine had done some bad things, but due to influence. He was Cooper's brother, he was expected to carry out the family legacy. But Sebastian? Well, he was a different story. "He didn't tell you, did he?"

"More secrets? Blaine, I'm getting tired …" Santana retorted.

"Santana, you know why you had to be there. I'm assuming Sebastian told you that Thad wanted him to kill you," Blaine explained.

Santana nodded, remembering the previous conversation she had with him. This was just after the first fight. To Santana it seemed like forever ago. "After the Warblers became more of a fight club, after the murder of Greg, you had to kill someone to be initiated. Someone you loved."

"I fell in love with Kurt after that rule was made. I was planning on leaving the Warblers before any of this happened. I slowly eased out of Warbler meetings, Warbler lifestyle ... But you? Sebastian? Sebastian was always meant to kill you. Thad let him slide after everything he had done, but even then he never trusted him. Sebastian had one job and he didn't do it. You needed to be there so Thad could trust Sebastian. To Thad, after seeing what you did, you would never love Sebastian again …"

"So then he would have won. In Thad's eyes, Sebastian didn't kill me, he did one better – he killed our love," Santana answered understanding. She sighed exasperatedly, and in a quiet voice added one last question. "I understand that they chose me to die because we were in love, but Sebastian loves a lot of people. His family. His friends. Why me?"

Blaine grimaced, unsure how to answer the questions. "There's two answers. The first one is that we all know that his love for you is different than his love for his friends or his family." He took a deep breath, hesitant at continuing. "As for the second, I'm not sure you want to know …"

When Santana merely looked at him to continue, Blaine decided to speak up again. "As I said before, I don't think you understand how horrible Sebastian was."

"Everything you're saying contradicts each other Blaine. Is Sebastian a good guy or a bad guy?" She asked. It was only after the words were spoken that she realized that she did not know the answer to that question. How could it be that she had known him for so long and have known so little? How could it be that even she didn't know who Sebastian was?

"Sebastian tries." Blaine said, wording his response carefully. "But there was a phase where he couldn't take the pressure anymore. When I transferred and we came up with the plan that he should slushy me, Sebastian spiraled. All of his friends were being forced to follow Thad, and at the moment, that was what being a Warbler was. Kill or be killed. And even I'll admit," Blaine said, chuckling without humor. "There's something that feels glamorous the minute you do something you know you shouldn't … but get praised for it by friends."

"Sebastian hurt a lot of people Thad wanted him too. Even to this day I don't know whether he wanted to slushy me, or whether he enjoyed it. I think it was a mixture of both. But then I got hurt, and he saw one of his own friends reaping the consequences to his harm, rather than a stranger. But none of this mattered, until he started to see you."

"Until me?" Santana repeated. "Blaine, you know Sebastian and I only started to be serious a few weeks prior to the slushy incident. Yeah, we were, you know, friends with benefits, beforehand. But the few weeks we've been official … that's hardly enough time to change a man."

Santana hadn't thought about their relationship's timeline in a while. To her, it felt like she had dated him for years. In a sense, she supposed that was true. But when she met him, their relationship was filled with witty repertoire and hate sex. It was only after they slowly got to know one another that both of them realized they wanted more. Although Santana felt as though she had dated Sebastian for years, she had really only been dating for a month.

"No buts. You changed him." Blaine said. He hated humanizing the man who sacrificed his boyfriend, but this was a story that needed to be told. If Santana was going to make a decision about this man, she had to be informed of the facts.

"You made him want to be a better person. You don't take his crap. You started sleeping with him because you wanted to, and then demanded you wanted more. You were the reasonable version of who he wanted to be. Danger was fine in doses, but murder? A club filled with dangerous men, a club you couldn't leave? Sebastian changed. He realized that this wasn't who he wanted to be. He wanted to be the man he could call yours. So then when you asked him to be serious, he accepted and changed."

Santana was quiet, letting his words sink in. "So what does this have to do with anything?"

"Kurt may be the reason I left, but I was always against what this was. I was always the same person. But you changed Sebastian. For a moment, Sebastian was a Warbler. An actual Warbler who lived for the fight, the kill. You changed the symbol of the club." Blaine grimaced. "Thad wants to kill you, to ruin your life, because you are responsible for changing Sebastian, and thereby changing the dynamic of the Warblers. I left the Warblers, but that didn't change anything. Sebastian stayed in the Warblers, and changed who he was. And that gesture changes everything." He was quiet for a moment, until whispered. "He started a revolution because of you. You are the symbol of the Warbler uprising. This is only the beginning."

Santana crossed her arms over her chest and looked around baffled. Sebastian was a good guy. Right? Well, Sebastian was a bad guy turned good. Sebastian was on their side … or was he? Why would he invite Kurt? Why would he put him in danger? It just didn't add up. Santana needed to know, but she also needed to stop thinking about her relationship. "So, keeping everything you just said in mind, and the fact that Sebastian made a deal, he wouldn't purposely hurt Kurt. Right?" She answered in a quiet voice.

"Just because he wouldn't kill Kurt, that doesn't make him any safer Santana." Blaine said in a short tone. "Besides, the Sebastian we saw the other night was a lot similar to Warbler Sebastian. The Warbler who killed for the fun of it." Blaine scoffed. "He's either one hell of an actor, or we might be screwed."

Santana sat at the edge of his bed and put a hand on his. For a moment she just wanted to sit there. No one truly understood what she was going through, except Blaine and the others. Blaine had given up so much, he had gone through so much. Sometimes it was surprising that he was still breathing. But her friends inspired her. If Blaine could get through this, she could. They hadn't lost anyone yet and she didn't intend to start now. "We'll find him Blaine." She said in comforting tone. "I promise you," Santana added, their eyes meeting. "We will keep Kurt safe."


End file.
